{"id":639,"date":"2016-05-03T16:21:19","date_gmt":"2016-05-04T01:21:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opinion.alaskapolicy.net\/pardonme\/?p=639"},"modified":"2016-05-03T16:21:19","modified_gmt":"2016-05-04T01:21:19","slug":"time-for-state-employees-to-walk-in-others-shoes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/opinion.alaskapolicy.net\/pardonme\/time-for-state-employees-to-walk-in-others-shoes\/","title":{"rendered":"Time for State Employees to Walk in Others’ Shoes"},"content":{"rendered":"

I sent the e-mail below to the Medicaid Expansion Coordinator and the DPA Director, Sean O’Brien as a follow up to my prior investigation<\/a>. It has only been a couple of days, but I suppose I really am not expecting much of anything with respect to a substantive response.\u00a0 Like so much else, we have here a potentially great idea, with simply horrendous implementation.<\/p>\n

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----------------------------------------------------------\r\nThe communication below and any files transmitted with it\r\nmay contain privileged or confidential information. It is\r\nsolely for use by the individual for whom it is intended,\r\neven if addressed incorrectly. If you received this e-mail\r\nin error, please notify the sender; do not disclose, copy,\r\ndistribute, or take any action in reliance on the contents\r\nof this information; and delete it from your system.\r\n\r\nThank you for your cooperation.\r\n----------------------------------------------------------\r\n  .\r\n    .\r\n      .\r\n        .\r\n          .\r\n            .\r\n              .\r\n                .\r\nDear Ms. Martin,\r\n\r\nWhile I have been more than willing to accept what the Chris\r\nAshenbrenner had to say about the problems with the roll-out of the\r\nMedicaid Expansion, any experience dealing with the claimant side of the\r\nsystem is immediately explanatory of why there are so many people angry\r\nand frustrated  with that system.\r\n\r\nTo start with, much of the information received by applicants from DPA\r\noffices, or provided on the ARIES website, is inaccurate or misleading.\r\nWhen I have tried to bring that to the attention of agency personnel, I\r\nhave been blown off, with the result that to my way of thinking,\r\nnothing is ever going to be done to fix it. By way of example, if you\r\nare dumped into ARIES by healthcare.gov, your application does not show\r\nup in ARIES, even AFTER someone has looked at the file and sent you a\r\ndemand for verification letter.  If you have an application on file, you\r\nmust be able to confirm the status of that application through ARIES.\r\nPeriod.\r\n\r\nAnyone who thinks this\r\n\r\n<\/pre>\n
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That was not the greatest explanation, so let me try again.  \r\nThe number you reported prefixed with a T is a temporary \r\napplication number while the application is in processing.   \r\nNo access is available at the self-service portal (where \r\napplication was made) while in this temporary status.  \r\nThe application has been transferred (electronically) to \r\nan office for processing.  After the case is processed and \r\napproved it will be assigned a permanent number starting with \r\na 3.  This permanent number can then be used to access features \r\nprovided on the portal. \r\n<\/pre>\n<\/blockquote>\n
is in any way explanatory (or satisfactory) needs to see a mental health\r\nprofessional. Let's see... it suggests that the application number does\r\nnot become an application number until the application is not longer an\r\napplication, and suggests, contrary to what the ARIES site says, that\r\nyou can see the status of your application based on your application\r\nnumber...  but of course since the only number you get while your\r\napplication is an application is the application number and that\r\napplication number is not an application number, it is fairly obviously\r\nthat most of what one might have tried to do for an hour trying to use\r\nweb tools to determine the status of an application has been totally\r\nwasted.  Moreover, any attempt to speak to someone at the DPA office\r\nresults in you being put in a queue to leave a message which is never\r\nreturned.\r\n\r\nAs far as the back log is concerned, since it is fairly evident that no\r\none is doing triage on the applications, and a call to the published\r\ntelephone number about emergent issues results only in an e-mail to an\r\noffice manager who already is failing to triage applications, it is\r\npretty clear why applicants are getting steamed. For example, waiting 6\r\nor 7 weeks to THEN tell an applicant he has 1 week to send in dozens of\r\ndocuments while making it impossible for the applicant to discuss with\r\nanyone the document request is, in a word, bizarre. And YES, that\r\nis exactly what DPA is doing.  Calls to claim workers are not returned.\r\nWhen they are, no message is left. And no call backs are ever attempted.\r\n\r\nIndeed, as relates to FFM referrals, since data will in fact be sparse\r\nbecause it is all electronic and no documents are accepted, you know\r\nthat no application will be accepted without receipt of additional\r\ndocumentation where there is any evidence of self-employment, and yet\r\nyou sit on those applications.  Where gross FFM income is below $19000\r\nyou STILL sit on those applications, and eventually ask the applicant to\r\nprove expenses, when it makes no difference what the expanses were if\r\nthe gross income was below the target income level (if I have $12000 in\r\nW2 income and and $6000 in gross self employment income, it doesn't make\r\nany difference what my business expenses are, I am still eligible).\r\n\r\nAnd what IS one supposed to do in response to a request that simply\r\nsays, \"Provide documentation of expenses.\" What expenses? What kind of\r\ndocumentation? Questions? Sorry, you may NOT speak to anyone who can\r\nanswer them \r\n\r\nAs far as published data, it is frankly unbelievable, and while there\r\nmay be an explanation for why it seems incredible, the Department does\r\nitself no service by not providing same.  By way of example, consider\r\nthis data:\r\n\r\n                             \"Jan-16\"   \"Feb-16\"  \"Mar-16\"\r\n\"Incoming Work\"              \"4,352\"    \"3,672\"    \"4,501\"\r\n\"Work Completed              \"5,136\"    \"5,075\"    \"5,042\"\r\n\"True Application Backlog\"   \"2,692\"    \"1,573\"    \"2,053\"\r\n\r\nHow can you have an Application Backlog of 1573 in February, complete\r\n541 more applications in March than came in, and then have a resulting\r\nbacklog of 480 more than you had in February?\r\n\r\nAnd providers. I have spoken to quite a few over the last several\r\nweeks.  Many are just fed up and are ready to quit accepting Medicaid.\r\nYes, they have been told to go ahead and treat as Medicaid will\r\neventually pay (really?), but all the provider has is a voice on a\r\ntelephone, and that does not pay the bills if payment is in fact NOT\r\nforthcoming. Thankfully, many will simply hold the bill for 30 days.\r\nAnd if a provider won't hold the bill, and won;t serve you because\r\nMedicaid can't provide even a claimant number?  Well, you are in a sense\r\nworse off than you were before Expansion, aren't you?\r\n\r\nThe system simply is not working well for those who need it to work for\r\nthem, in no small part because communication is non-existent, and\r\nurgency is treated with casual disregard by the system.  We can do better.\r\n\r\nMarc\r\n\r\nMarc Grober, Esq.\r\n5610 Radcliff Dr.\r\nAnchorage Alaska 99504\r\nemail: marc@interak.com<\/a>\r\ncell:  (907)2272417<\/pre>\n